Crimson Snow
by RWBYWriter0711
Summary: Byleth, the professor of the Black Eagles, hadn't had the opportunity to go to Enbarr, the Imperial Capital, with Edelgard. Not seeing Edelgard's ascension to the throne, the plan to steal frm the Holy Tomb caught her off guard. Is there any other way for Byleth to reconnect with her student and join her? What will happen between them? Retelling of Crimson Flower with some twists.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So like, I've been playing a LOT of Fire Emblem: Three Houses recently, and I decided that I wanted to try writing for it as well. This story is gonna be a bit different than I have done in the past. It's going to be third person. This is still rather new to me, so I apologize if it seems weird. Updates for this story are looking to be every other week, so look forward to that! Also, this story is going to follow some of SS and CF, so if you haven't played those routes yet, and you don't wanna be spoiled. Begone. But it's also going to be diverting its path beyond both SS and CF. Finally, I love Edelgard so much. She's my favorite Lord. Edelgard did nothing wrong. Anyway, enjoy!**

"You have disappointed me, Edelgard. To think that a descendant of House Hresvelg would dare betray the holy church…" Rhea's eyes narrowed in seeming hatred towards the newly appointed Emperor of the Adrestian Empire clad in her Flame Emperor armor.

Edelgard sighed deeply. "So it is my teacher who stands in my way. I always knew it would come to this…"

Rhea, standing behind Byleth, placed her hand on Byleth's left shoulder. "Professor, kill Edelgard at once. She is a danger to all of Fódlan. Such a rebellious heart cannot be allowed to keep beating." Her voice's tone almost seemed to growl as her order was spoken.

Hearing Rhea's order, Byleth's still face remained unchanged, but her internal monologue, heard by none but herself, raged behind the still exterior. _Kill Edelgard? Yes, she had betrayed the Church of Seiros, but was that really enough to warrant a death penalty? _Of course Byleth cared about her student, as her teacher. But therein lies the point of contention. As Edelgard's professor, Byleth would throw down her life for the young emperor. But Byleth was not only Edelgard's teacher. She was also, like Catherine and like Alois, one of the Church's many hands of judgement. After everything that Rhea had done for her, could she betray her? Would such betrayal be possible? Unable to come to any real decision, Byleth remained silent. Byleth's eyes, usually non-emotive, showed the indecisiveness that was tormenting Byleth's mind to Edelgard. If Rhea had seen her now, Byleth surely would be considered a traitor as well. After all, the Church must pass judgement on the heretics without remorse.

Taking the moment of hesitation as an opportunity to escape, Edelgard chuckled softly. "I will withdraw... for now." The ground next to Edelgard warped slightly as individual runes quickly carved themselves into the stone floor. Shortly afterwards, the air above these runes shifted slightly, and Hubert then apparated into that space. "Come, Hubert!" Hubert simply nodded and vanished just as quickly as he came. Edelgard hesitated, looking at Byleth. "I will see you again, Professor." Just like Hubert, Edelgard's form vanished from before Rhea and Byleth.

"To flee is futile, wicked girl. The Church of Seiros will raise its entire army against you, until you have been captured and punished! You have defiled the Holy Tomb, dishonored the goddess, and humiliated your brethren. That crime will never be erased, even if you burn in the eternal flames, and spill all of your blood into the goddess's soil!" Rhea shouted into the empty room, none to hear her but Byleth and the rest of her students. Stunned silence followed, not only from Byleth herself, but also her students, even those originally not from the Black Eagle house.

Rhea disregarded the silence and turned towards the exit. "Come, Professor. Let us return and decide upon our next course of action." She exited the Tomb without another word.

Byleth turned to see the shocked expressions of her students. _If only Sothis were still here. Even her scolding would be welcome at this point. She'd probably know what to do here._ Shaking her head, Byleth followed after Rhea, speaking to her students as she passed them. "Come along. We must follow." Byleth's students began scrambling to catch up to their swiftly moving professor.

"Professor, wait!" Caspar's voice called after Byleth, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not now. If she stopped, then that's when her mind would start to roam into dangerous territory, and with everything that just happened, she couldn't afford that.

Byleth soon ran into Seteth on her way out of the tomb. "Ah, professor. Rhea told me what happened. It is truly a shame that one of our own, Edelgard, has disgraced the church like this. Rhea wishes for me to speak with you and your students in the Audience Chamber. Please have them gather there as soon as possible. We will have words there." Seteth turned around and walked towards the audience chamber. Not having much else of a choice, Byleth waited for her students and led them to the audience chamber.

In the audience chamber, Seteth waited for the students and Byleth to arrive. Upon their arrival, his grave face looked over the crowd of students that had gathered in front of him. "Edelgard and Hubert have disappeared. They will surely return to the Empire. The knights have been dispatched to search and investigate. If there is any movement, we will know. We cannot ignore the possibility that there will soon be open hostilities between us and the Imperial army. When that happens, are you prepared to fight your own? If you wish to return to the Empire, I will not stop you. That is your choice to make. I am sure you all have much on your mind. I encourage you to confer with your professor and make a decision. You have until the fighting commences." Seteth closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Upon opening his eyes again, he turned to Byleth. "Professor, I am depending on your strength for the safety of Fodlan. We have received word that Edelgard has declared war on the church. Be sure to rest up well. You are all dismissed." Seteth turned away and headed into the side room, leaving the rest of the Eagles alone in the audience chamber.

"Come. We must leave. We can discuss this elsewhere." Byleth left the room and headed to the Black Eagles Classroom. After all, most people would probably be eating at the dining hall by now. Her students followed her closely, but said nothing, the shock of the experience still weighing heavily on their minds. Once all of the students had made their way into the room, Byleth closed the large wooden doors emblazoned with the emblem of the Black Eagles. The doors slammed shut with a force that many of the students had seen on the battlefield or during training from Byleth, but little had seen outside of those times. A hushed quiet fell over the room as Byleth stayed facing the doors, not moving for a good many seconds. The Black Eagles, Ashe, Lysithea, Marianne, Mercedes, Sylvain, and Felix stared at Byleth, saying nothing.

Dorothea, out of concern for her teacher, slowly approached Byleth, placing a hand on Byleth's shoulder. "Professor? Are you okay?" As the question leaves her mouth, she noticed it: Byleth's hands were shaking. Byleth turned around quickly, hands clenched at her side.

"Did any of you know about this?" Her face, now in the stone, firm expression that the students were used to seeing, seemed to be more unnerving than if she bore her emotions on her face.

"I can assure you that I had no knowledge of this event. If I did, then I, as a noble, would have-" Ferdinand started.

"Ferdie, even if you did know about it, you know better than anyone else that Edie wouldn't have let you do anything about it, especially stop her. I'm not sure if any of us knew about this. You know how Edie likes her secrets. I'm pretty sure that I was her best friend here, and I didn't hear of it at all." Dorothea cut Ferdinand off.

"L-let's not f-fight, you guys!" Bernadetta piped up from the back of the group of students in the room.

"I'm sorry, Bern. There's just a lot of nerves that are high." Dorothea apologized from next to the door and walked back over to the group of students.

"What do we do, Professor?" Caspar's voice was noticeably tense. It was clear that he was nervous.

"I… I don't know. There is a lot that must be thought about. Most of you are from the Empire, right? Will you not return home? I had thought that national loyalty would come into play here." Byleth's mouth curled down just slightly into a frown, an expression she had been making a lot recently..

"I am believing that I am speaking for the most of us when I am saying that we will be with you, Professor." Petra said, earning her a few grins from her fellow classmates.

"Yeah! What Petra said! We'll be with you no matter what you decide." Caspar shouted, seeming to find a sense of renewed vigor.

"While I appreciate the thought, that doesn't make this decision any easier. I need time to come to a decision that I will not regret. You are dismissed. Classes are on hold for the rest of the week as well. Take the time to really think about this. Make sure that this is really the decision that you want to stick with." Byleth sighed and opened the doors again. "And I may be spending a bit of time by myself. Do not let that worry you. I simply do not wish to be distracted. Enjoy your week off." Byleth immediately parted from her students and receded into her own personal quarters, and for the second time in her life, tears started rolling down her face.

While working as a mercenary was hard, Byleth had never had to make as many important decisions as she had at the Monastery, and none of those decisions remotely come close to the decision that had been placed directly onto her lap. The decision itself seemed impossible: Betray the trust of the Church and side with her student or betray the trust of her student and side with the Church.

_Edelgard…_

For some reason, when Byleth thought about her student, her unbeating heart clenched in her chest.

_Why? Why do thoughts of her make me ache in such a way?_

While Byleth had liked to have said that she treated all of her students equally, that was never really the case. Edelgard had clearly earned her favor early on in her teaching career, if one could call it that. She quickly began to care deeply for Edelgard and her safety, even more so than she did for her other students. She and the young imperial princess had grown close, or so she had thought. Byleth had thought that Edelgard trusted her enough to tell her these sorts of things, but as it turned out, Edelgard hadn't trusted her enough for arguably one of the most important things to happen at the Monastery. And that hurt her still heart more than the prospect of having to choose. Ever since coming to the Monastery, no, ever since Edelgard, Byleth had felt real emotions for the first time, whatever this was being the most recent of them. Byleth let her newly felt emotions carry her off to slumber as that night, she cried herself to sleep for the first time in her life.

* * *

The next week was filled with her students visiting her at her personal quarters, despite her telling them not to worry about her. The prospect of knowing people cared enough for her brought a smile to her stoic, mostly unwavering face. By the end of the week, Byleth had come to a decision.

Whatever it was that made Byleth feel that way about Edelgard and her deserting, it was clear that it was having an impact on Byleth and her mind. Edelgard didn't trust her enough to let her in on one of the biggest events of her life. It must mean something. Could she trust Edelgard anymore after this? Byleth wasn't sure. What Byleth did know was that Edelgard left. Without her. Not only that, but Edelgard was the Flame Emperor, the same person who commanded those that killed her father. Her path was shaky, but it had direction, at least to her view now. She would help the Church in this fight. As much as it hurt her still heart to think about fighting against Edelgard, she felt she had no choice. Edelgard hadn't chosen her. How could Byleth choose Edelgard if Edelgard hadn't chosen her?

Having accepted the inevitable, Byleth grudgingly rose from her desk and opened the door. Seteth was standing there, hand raised as if to knock. "Ah, Professor! I was just about to ask for your council. We have received word that Edelgard and her army are approaching Garreg Mach. They should be here in two weeks time. Will you fight for us?" Seteth's voice contained an undertone that was hard to grasp.

Sighing briefly, Byleth rose her gaze to meet Seteth's.

"I will."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So this chapter, I still have used direct game dialogue for some scenes, however just for what is going to happen later on in the story, there are some scenes that I needed to change just so that it might flow better. This'll be my first time writing any kind of combat from third person, so I apologize if it's a bit… off. Also, to address the reviews, I had preordered the game and my first BE run was the first thing I did with it. I had it mailed to me about 3 days after release, and I had kept myself from looking into the game at all. During month 11, I was focused on recruiting as many students as I could, and I didn't really watch for Edelgard at all. This was when I was romancing Dorothea, so if I was romancing Edelgard, I would have talked to her. And also, I didn't know there was a church route, I just thought I'd be with Edelgard and the Black Eagles for the rest of the game. Finally, if any of you would like to Beta for this story, PM me. I'm looking for someone that I can actually talk to about this story as I write it. Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

The walk from her quarters to the front gate was uneventful, Seteth remaining quiet as they walked. By the time that both of them had reached the gate, all of the Monastery's students, including Byleth's own students, were gathered. As was Rhea, dressed in armor and outfitted with weapons of her own.

"I had them gather before I told Seteth to go see you. It pleases me that you have chosen to join us in this fight. It would have been most unfortunate if you had not." Rhea's words held a warm air to them, but at the same time, those same words had an undertone that was just barely hidden sharpness beneath the warmth. Almost threatening. "Now, we can get to the subject of this meeting: Edelgard and her Empire. It is truly unforgivable! I cannot believe that the Adrestian Empire would embark on such a violent course of action."

Seteth's face fell slightly in guilt. "The fault is my own. I failed to see the wickedness within Edelgard's heart."

This made Byleth's heart feel strange. Edelgard? Wicked? While she wasn't a paragon of justice, especially after her raid on the Holy Tomb, but wicked? "Is she wicked?" Byleth asked.

Seteth glared coldly at Byleth. That was clearly not what he had wanted to be said. "She plotted with ill-meaning strangers to achieve her own ambitions and defiled the Holy Tomb. If that is not wicked, what is?"

Byleth's face fell, unsure of what to say in reply. From what Edelgard had told her, she despised the church for a number of reasons, some of which were incredibly valid. Byleth wasn't sure that she could call her best, and also favorite, student truly wicked inside. She couldn't be. There was a soft, caring part of Edelgard. She was sure of it. She had seen it herself.

Seteth continued after receiving no reply from Byleth. "Or perhaps her ambitions are even grander than we know. Perhaps she is planning to make herself a false deity by demonizing the Church of Seiros…"

Rhea glowered and shook her head. "Adrestia received its very name through a divine oracle. To injure the goddess is a sin most foul that shall not be forgiven nor forgotten. We must stop the Empire...and quickly." Once more, Byleth felt a tightness in her chest. If it was the Empire against the Church, she wasn't sure who would win. She had seen the Church's strength first hand, but Edelgard was a more than capable leader. The more that came to her, the more that Byleth was unsure of her decision. Could she really go through with fighting her own student? With fighting Edelgard?

"Which brings us to the reason that all of you have been summoned today. If the Empire is to launch an attack on Garreg Mach, then Lady Rhea has told me that she will be joining us on the battlefield." Seteth explained, looking towards Rhea herself.

"It is as he says. If our enemy invades the monastery, I will have no choice but to stand upon the battlefield." Rhea looked towards Byleth, a concerned look on her face. "Professor…listen closely. If something happens to me...I am entrusting my sacred duties to you."

"Sacred duties?" Byleth's face stayed at her normal expressionless expression.

"Yes. I would trust no one else. You are the only one qualified to lead this church in my stead. Do not disappoint me." Rhea smiled at Byleth. Byleth couldn't meet Rhea's gaze. Not with the conflict that had been raging in her mind. "Now we must begin preparations. It has been a while since I have fought on any sort of battlefield. We will begin training immediately. Gather your equipment and meet me on the field outside of the Monastery." Rhea left quickly, heading outside of the monastery. Seteth followed her quickly.

"You heard her. We move out to train. I'd rather not anger her now." Byleth turned towards where Rhea had walked off towards and beckoned her students to follow, and they did, following Byleth down to the open fields below.

Once they got to the fields below, Rhea pulled out her sword and turned to Byleth and her students. "Professor, you and your students will stay here. I will head to the other side of this field. Seteth, you will join me. Once I give the signal, we will begin today's training. Do not hold back against me. I will not hold back against you students. And I suspect that Edelgard herself will not hold back either, even though you are her classmates. This is serious. Do not disappoint your professor or me." Rhea's face hardened as she turned, her expression the most serious that Byleth had ever seen. There was no mercy in her eyes. Seteth followed her, his stern expression remained unchanging.

"Caspar, Petra, and Felix, you're with me. Ferdinand and Sylvain, hold the midline. Your lances will out-range her sword. If you can, try to flank her and Seteth. Dorothea, Mercedes, Lysithea, and Marianne: cover us with spells. Marianne and Mercedes focus more on supportive magic. Ashe and Bernadetta, support from behind with covering fire. Let's not hold back." Byleth gave out her orders to her students, who filed into the lines they were told to without complaints. Byleth had trained them well. While these students were skilled fighters, they had been used to fighting alongside Edelgard up to this point. There was a noticeable gap in our lines, or at least, it seemed like it to Byleth.

After having walked around 150 feet away from Byleth and her students, Rhea turned and raised her arm, sword in hand, and let out a battle cry. She and Seteth immediately started rushing towards Byleth and her students. Caspar returned the battle cry in kind.

Byleth's sword crossed Rhea's with incredible force. Byleth hadn't bothered with the Sword of the Creator. She was fine enough with a simple steel sword. Rhea's sword swing held such power; power that Byleth had not expected from Rhea's slim frame.

"Felix! Petra!" Byleth yelled, pushing back against Rhea's sword and jumping backwards. Felix and Petra rushed up, swords both in hand, slashing towards Rhea while her balance was off, but by that time, Rhea had already regained herself and she tumbled out of the way. She rushed forward and kneed Felix in the stomach, pushing his head to the ground before turning to Petra. Felix had fallen to the ground, breath knocked out of him. Before Rhea could do the same to Petra, a volley of flaming spheres forced her to dodge roll out of the way. Rhea jumped forward after her roll, her leg shooting forward and tripping Petra. Taking the opportunity, Byleth dashed forward with a jab at Rhea's sternum. With a clear hit, Rhea coughs as air is shunted from her lungs. Rhea quickly stands up, catches her breath, and rushes towards Petra, who had just stood up, knocking her off balance again. As soon as Petra hit the ground, Byleth turned back to Marianne and Mercedes.

"Healers! We've got some down. Focus on them." Byleth yelled behind her.

"We are doing what we can to deal with Seteth, Professor! We have been split up between them." Ferdinand yelled back to her. After having heard this, Byleth turned to look at her other students. Seteth was easily taking on Caspar, Ferdinand and Sylvain, his lance work showing his prowess. Byleth saw a loose volley of arrows flying towards Seteth, but he was able to dodge to the side before using his lance to strike in an arc at the three students that had surrounded him. Both Ferdinand and Sylvain took this arc straight to their chest, and they were both knocked backwards off balance. Caspar dodged out of the way just in time to not be hit by the swing.

"You're distracted, Professor." Rhea laughed before rushing towards Byleth, their blades crossing once more. Byleth grit her teeth and pushed against Rhea's sword, pushing Rhea off balance once more. A quick approach and flourish of Byleth's sword disarmed Rhea, her sword flying off to the left of her.

"Yield!" Byleth says, her sword pointed at Rhea.

"I yield. Good job, Professor. I am proud of you. Now, go help your other students. I will take care of Felix and Petra." Rhea smiled at Byleth, looking in the direction of Caspar and the back line fighters in Byleth's class. Byleth nodded to Rhea before gripping her sword and charging off towards Seteth.

* * *

"Wow, you two are super strong…" Caspar groaned from the ground, having been taken down by Seteth shortly after Byleth's arrival.

"This is merely the byproduct of years worth of practice. Professor, you and your students performed incredibly well. I believe that this invasion should not pose a threat to us or the Monastery. You are dismissed. Seteth, to me." Rhea turned around and walked to her sword. Seteth soon joined her.

Byleth's students started walking back to the Monastery, most of them groaning as they stood up from the ground. Byleth helped some of them up before turning to the Monastery and heading back. "All injured students, see Manuela in the infirmary." Byleth said to her students. They nodded before heading off to their favorite areas of the Monastery to relax. Thoughts plagued Byleth's mind once again. _Was this really the right choice?_

* * *

The next two weeks consisted of training with Rhea and Seteth day after day. With Edelgard's approaching invasion, there was no time for days off, which took its toll on Byleth's students. Byleth did what she could to lift their spirits, but with every passing day leading closer to the invasion that would be led by their colleague, classmate, peer, and friend, tensions had been high. And when the bells tolled ahead of schedule, the already high nerves of those at the monastery peaked.

At the time the bells tolled, Byleth was enjoying breakfast with Dorothea and Bernadetta, but she quickly sent them off to gather her other students while she left to her own quarters to don her own equipment, making sure to bring the Sword of the Creator. After properly outfitting herself with her armor, she then left to the front gates. The rushing of people around the Monastery was hectic. Every hallway was filled with people running in each direction, making cross-monastery travel difficult, but once she did arrive at the gate, Byleth saw Rhea and Seteth standing in their war attire. Rhea looked almost like a completely different person, her Archbishop crown replaced with a circlet with two dragon-like wings extending from the right and left of her head. She bore a grim expression, but as soon as she saw Byleth, her face immediately softened to a smile.

"Thank you for joining us, Professor. I'm sure that today will prove important for the future of Fodlan. I expect you to give it your all against the heretics like you did in our training. They must not be allowed to live. They have desecrated the Holy Tomb and gone against the Church. To fight against the Church is to fight against the goddess herself." Rhea's face hardened once again into the grim expression that Byleth had seen upon arrival.

"Professor! We're here!" Dorothea's voice echoed across the stone walls that lined the gated merchantry of the Monastery. She, along with the rest of Byleth's students hurriedly arrived at the gates in full battle regalia.

"So where... exactly is Edelgard's... army right now?" Linhardt asked between yawns. "If she is a good distance away, perhaps there would be time for... another nap."

"Now is not the time for napping, Linhardt. This is important." Ferdinand scolded Linhardt, who brushed it off without much concern.

"Our scouts saw that she was an hour's march from the Monastery. That was half an hour ago. The battle will be upon us soon. We must be ready to defend the Monastery at all costs." Rhea responded without looking at the students. Her eyes were focused forward.

_Half an hour until Edelgard gets here... _Byleth's chest tightened at the thought of seeing her star pupil again… _But why?_

Preparations had been made early on this week for keeping military gear, barricades, and wall reinforcements near the gate, so in the interim between then and the upcoming battle, Byleth and her students helped the Knights of Seiros set up their barriers.

Soon enough, a horn sounded off in the distance, and out beyond the town, Byleth could see the flag of the Adrestian Empire being flown proudly in the sky, and at the front of their forces, Byleth could clearly see the person that she had been looking forward to, yet at the same time, dreading seeing for the almost month that she had been gone.

_Edelgard..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I have a beta reader now! Heck yeah! So this is where things will REALLY start to change up. I wasn't entirely sure how to handle the conversation between Byleth and Edelgard, but this is what I came up with. These three chapters were more precursors than anything else. The real fun starts in the next chapter, and I am SO excited to write that and get it out to you all. Enjoy! And also, since this is my first time really writing in this style (Third person limited), I'd love feedback. Many thanks to all who are reading this! Also, this chapter is 3rd Person, but Edelgard's perspective. The story will go back and forth on perspectives between Byleth and Edelgard from time to time, depending on which would make more sense for the chapter and its content.**

The day was finally here: the Imperial Invasion of Garreg Mach Monastery. She had been planning this moment for a long time. To say that Edelgard was nervous would be an understatement, not just for the invasion, but also in seeing her Professor again. She had seen the trepidation in her Professor's eyes at the Holy Tomb. Byleth was no novice when it came to combat or killing, and so the fact that her Professor hesitated struck Edelgard as strange, yet it somehow filled her with a sense of unbridled optimism. If she was able to convince Byleth to join her, then that would get rid of the only major unaccounted for obstruction that stood in her path. She had told Byleth that she would see her again, and she would see her teacher again if she had anything to say about it.

"Your Majesty! The enemy has set up a defensive line. We must break through it. What do you wish to do?" One of Edelgard's strategists had approached while she had been lost in thought.

"Send in a battalion of cavalry. That should start the process of breaking through. Once they have passed, my generals and I will infiltrate past the town and head for the Monastery's gates. That should open the rest of the army to strike through the rest of their forces. Make it so." Edelgard braced her axe in her right hand, readying herself for the upcoming battle. This would not be an easy start to the war, but it was a necessary one.

Her strategist called out to the rest of her forces. "Her Majesty has given her orders! Cavalry! Prepare for a charge through the enemy's defensive wall! Everyone else! Prepare to infiltrate afterwards. We move out now." Edelgard gripped her axe tighter, preparing for the inevitable loss of lives that would undoubtedly weigh on her conscience. It would have to be now or later, and Edelgard would take now over later any day. After all, the war would be the fastest way to change Fodlan. Edelgard shook her head to clear her mind. She wouldn't fare well if she was distracted.

After the cavalry had assembled at the front of her ranks, Edelgard lifted her axe and let out a battle cry. Immediately, her cavalry rushed through the defensive line that the Knights of Seiros had formed at the edge of the town. Her units' charge broke through the wall with such ferocity that even she didn't expect from them. Her remaining forces broke through the barrier with ease, and they, along with her, stormed into the Monastery proper.

"Hubert! Take the Western Stronghold! Death Knight, the Eastern one. The rest of you, spread out, use the buildings to your advantage. Don't forget to use the arms that are scattered across the field. We will not lose this! Ladislava! Randolph! To me!" Edelgard quickly gave out her orders, similarly, she mused, to her Professor.

_Professor…_

Edelgard looked to the top of the Monastery walls to see her classmates, peers, and Rhea. Rhea stood at the edge of the walls, staring down at Edelgard with ire. But where was her teacher? Surely she was there. As if on cue, Byleth stepped forward from behind Rhea. A sudden tightness gripped Edelgard's chest, the reason unclear to her. Edelgard couldn't see her teacher's expression, but for some reason, she hoped that it was the same one that she had held during their brief stint in the Holy Tomb. If she could convince her teacher to join her cause, Edelgard would have everything she needed.

"Foolish Emperor. You dare challenge the Church of Seiros. You shall be vanquished for your wicked deeds here and now. I will make sure of it." Rhea yelled across the battlefield to Edelgard.

Edelgard could only laugh. "I have no intentions of falling here today, Archbishop."

Edelgard could see her professor turn around and start speaking to some of the students that were up there with her. Shortly after her teacher had turned back around, the other students, some of the Knights of Seiros, and Byleth took up their defensive positions. Strangely enough, her teacher had placed Lysithea in the front of the deployed troops. That took Edelgard by surprise. Lysithea was always in the back. It wasn't until Edelgard's own men started advancing did she realize the reasoning behind this decision, and why it was so smart.

Immediately upon Edelgard's army's advancement, Lysithea started casting a spell on Byleth that Edelgard had seen her utilize before: Warp. With Lysithea's high affinity for magic and her body's natural ability to cast powerful spells without tiring, she could warp someone incredibly long distances without fail. Sure enough, the air started flickering around 30 or so feet in front of Edelgard, and in a flash, Byleth had appeared in front of her.

Almost immediately, Byleth was rushing forward, Sword of the Creator in hand, cutting down some of Edelgard's men in the process, but only as they approached her. Byleth did not seek them out.

_Such power. So that's why they call her the Ashen Demon…_

As Byleth approached, Edelgard finally had a chance to see her face. It was striking, as always. Her unmoving expression struck fear into those who came to blows with her on the battlefield; however, there was something... different about Byleth's eyes. There was a slight sadness in them that Edelgard saw. A slight sadness that Edelgard had seen before. She had seen that same look before in the Holy Tomb.

"Ladislava, Randolph. Deal with the others closer to the Monastery. My teacher and I have some matters to discuss."

"A-are you sure, Your Majesty? To leave you alone with an enemy? Now?" Randolph asked, voice shaking slightly with confusion.

"That's an order. Now. See to our true enemies." Edelgard gripped her axe tightly. While she would like to be so certain that her teacher would not attack her, there was still a part of Edelgard that had trouble trusting. If it were anybody else, Edelgard surely would not trust them enough to send some of her best generals away while she talked with her pursuer. Why was that? Why was her professor so special? No matter the reason, she had to deal with the situation that she had put herself in.

"My teacher, it is good to see you. I actually had something that I wanted to talk to you about." Edelgard smiled at Byleth, and Edelgard was surprised to see the barest of smiles back at her.

"I… I missed you, Edelgard. I'm not sure why, but I did." Edelgard could feel her face heating up as a faint crimson flushed across her face.

"I… I missed you as well, my teacher. Now, in order to keep things from looking out of place, I would suggest we at least pretend to be fighting, as if not to arouse suspicion." Edelgard suggested, brandishing her axe in front of her, taking up a faux fighting stance.

Byleth shook her head, eyes downcast. "I… I can't fight you. Not now. I have questions of my own, Edelgard."

Edelgard sighed and returned her axe back to her side. "Well, I suppose that we could talk after the battle if you wish, professor."

"I'm… I'm not sure if Rhea would like me to do that. I believe that if we are to speak, now would be the only time." Byleth looked back towards Rhea. The Archbishop, protected by her guards, was staring directly at Byleth, as if urging her forward to kill Edelgard.

"I… I see. Then I must say that if you side with Rhea, you are my enemy. I must let nothing stop me on my quest forward. Not even you, professor…" Edelgard's face dropped. She gripped her axe tighter than she had been gripping it before. "I'm sorry. I wished to walk with you, not against you." The sound of an explosion could be heard from behind Byleth. Edelgard looked over Byleth's shoulder, and her expression fell into a frown. "Imperial Army, we must make a tactical retreat. My forces! Fall back. Send in the Demonic Beasts! Until next time, my teacher. I… I do not wish to fight you either. I'm sorry about this." Edelgard looked into Byleth's eyes one last time before making her retreat to see if there was any hint of glint like she had seen in the Holy Tomb and at the start of the battle. Edelgard smiled internally as she saw the same glint of doubt and worry. Maybe not now, but soon she could get her teacher to listen.

As soon as Edelgard retreated, there was a rumbling of the ground, and soon the Demonic Beasts that she had locked in cages for the trip here came bounding across the field, and then into the town. Upon the beasts' entrance into the village, Rhea had stepped forward. She leaped off the wall of the Monastery, but before she hit the ground, a brilliant green light enveloped her, and where her form had used to be, a large, white dragon had appeared.

Byleth had become distracted during the reveal of the demonic beasts, and Edelgard had used the distraction to slip away unnoticed. By the time that Byleth had turned back to where Edelgard had been standing some number of seconds ago, Edelgard had already left and gotten to a vantage point, overlooking the battlefield.

"So, that must be the Immaculate One. Now all of the Monastery has seen your true form. You cannot hide this from them forever." Edelgard chuckled before scouting the battlefield for her teacher. Edelgard found her running towards Rhea's draconic form. Rhea, or the Immaculate One, as this form was to be called, had her hands full with four of her forces' Demonic Beasts. Byleth had done what she could to make the fight easier for Rhea, but there was only so much that one, albeit incredibly skilled, individual could do against four Demonic Beasts. The battle between the Immaculate One had caused some structural integrity damage to the sides of the Monastery town's walls.

_Another point to possibly breach from later._

Just as Edelgard was about to turn around, she caught a glimpse of a familiar purple column of light. Her gaze quickly found the source: Thales. He had positioned himself in a rather favorable altitude, somewhat high on the Monastery walls. With a wave of his hand, Thales unleashed a wave of dark magic towards Byleth. She raised the Sword of the Creator to stop the magic from hitting her directly, but the sheer force of the magic itself ended up pushing Byleth back several yards, directly to the edge of the cliff that had been revealed when the wall crumbled. Byleth started to step forward to recover, but the cliff started to crumble.

Time slowed to a halt as Edelgard had realized what had just happened. Edelgard jumped off of the raised platform in which she stood and ran as fast as she could to the edge. But with all her training, she was not fast enough. Tears streamed down her face as she reached out her hand towards her teacher, who, even though Edelgard wished she wasn't, was too far away to take her hand.

"Professor!"

It was all Edelgard could do to keep herself upright on her hands and knees. Edelgard couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She tried, but it was as though her lungs had locked up and refused to open. The only thing she could think about now, regardless of how hard she would have kicked herself for thinking this way, was a single word.

_Professor..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Happy Easter, everyone! Here we go again! I was super pumped to start this chapter! With the timeskip now officially underway, I'm even more hyped to keep going. As you'll soon read, and may have inferred from the previous chapters, this isn't just a SS or BF route playthrough retold. This is basically something that I had brainstormed over the course of like, two days and have been itching to write. It's been like, 2 days since I wrote the first chapter, and I'm still going strong with the inspiration for this story. Obviously, this is going to be published not within the same time frame that I'm writing them. ~~**_**Backlogs are great~~**_ **Anyway, enjoy!**

Darkness. That was all Byleth could see. After having fallen from the Monastery, Byleth wasn't able to remember why the darkness was there, just that it was there. After everything that had happened, the last two weeks and the battle at the Monastery, only one word; one name kept coming to Byleth's mind: Edelgard.

That woman had made Byleth feel things she never had before, most notably: emotions at all. If only Sothis were here. Somehow, Sothis always knew more about Byleth's feelings than Byleth herself did.

"But I am here!" Sothis' voice rang through the darkness, startling Byleth. "Please tell me that you had not already forgotten what I had told you! Did I not tell you that I will be with you always? While I may not be able to communicate with you while you are conscious anymore, I am still here."

"I'm sorry. I did not know you would return."

"Enough of this. Your emotions, awakened by your young student, Edelgard. You wish to understand them, yes?" The darkness opened up in front of Byleth's eyes to an all too familiar throne that Sothis sat upon.

"I do. I wish to know what has been plaguing me as of late."

Laughter sounded from Sothis. "Plaguing? Don't you think that is a little much? Now, tell me what has been going on." Sothis rested her hands on the side of the throne and looked to Byleth expectantly.

"I… well, Edelgard was the Flame Emperor, and she tried to steal Crest Stones at the Holy Tomb, and then she… she left. She and Hubert left the Monastery and returned to the Empire." Just thinking about it brought a tightness to Byleth's chest, but she wasn't sure why. She was never sure why.

"And this upsets you. Why?" Sothis' face held a smirk.

"Because she didn't tell me. She didn't take me with her."

"Good! Now think. Why did you wish to go with her?"

"I… I don't know." Byleth's face fell.

"You would do well to not deceive. There is a reason that you know. What is it?" Sothis scolded.

"Is it because I care for her?"

"Now we are getting somewhere! Yes, you care for the young girl. Now think back on your life. Is there anyone that you have cared for more than you care for your star pupil?"

"Yes."

"Aside from your father?" Sothis sighed. It would take a long time to get Byleth to understand her emotions.

"... No."

"So, you have realized that you care for her. And you have admitted that you care more for her than for anyone else that is alive. This war that she has started, there is either with her or against her. Where do you wish to be?" Sothis laced her fingers together as she sat forward on the throne.

"I wish to be with her."

"Then you have your direction. The time has come. Just how long do you intend to sleep? Your body is awake. Your eyes must open now, and you must find the strength to stand upon those legs of yours." Sothis and the throne faded from Byleth's vision, and the darkness returned. "Like so much rain, a pool of blood has fallen to the ground. As spears and arrows pierce the earth, it weeps… and even now… it weeps. In order to survive, they kill. And so, the people of this world are lost in an abyss of suffering. They weep as well. The only one who knows the nature of such things is I… Or rather, you."

The darkness faded from Byleth's mind as she opened her eyes. A grey sky which showed signs of the approaching dusk expanded above her. There was a voice. A voice other than Sothis. And there was a feeling. Something was touching her, shaking her. She looked in the direction of the sensation to see a man, probably some kind of farmer due to his clothing.

"Hey! A-are you awake?" He was still shaking her. Byleth shook her head and stood up, which startled the farmer.

Palming her forehead and shaking her head, Byleth closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. "Where am I?"

"We're in a village at the base of the monastery. What are you doing in a place like this? I honestly didn't expect to find someone floating away down the river... Garreg Mach is upstream of here, but that place was abandoned." The Monastery? Abandoned? Byleth looked around, eyes frantically darting between her surroundings.

"What do you mean?"

"Huh? You don't know? The Church of Seiros isn't there anymore. Though there have been some folks still living there in the five years since... Well, you know. Regardless, the Imperial Army has taken over now."

With this revelation, Byleth stopped looking around frantically and walked up to the farmer. She grabbed his shoulders, staring at him straight in the eyes, her unmoving expression sending chills down the man's spine. "What year is it?"

"Um, are you feeling all right? You didn't hit your head or anything did you? It's the Ethereal Moon of the year 1185. It's been nearly five years since the monastery fell. Tomorrow was supposed to be the Millennium Festival, but who's got time to think about things like that?" He edged away from Byleth, easily escaping her grasp as she was lost in thought.

"The Millennium Festival…" Byleth turned her head towards the Monastery, looking for any sign of movement.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I said. But with the war and the archbishop still missing and all, I doubt there's a soul to be found who has enough blessings worth counting. Anyway-" Before the farmer could say anything more, Byleth had turned around and was walking back up to the Monastery. "Hey! Slow down, will ya? Where do you think you're going?"

Turning her head while still walking, Byleth spoke over her shoulder to the farmer. "The Monastery."

The farmer reeled back in surprise. "Are you crazy?! The Imperial Army is there! Come on, I promise I won't say you're a coward. Just forget about going anywhere near the monastery." Byleth said nothing in response, only shaking her head. "You just remember I tried to stop you, got it? It's not on my conscience if you wind up dead."

Smiling, Byleth turned back to the Monastery itself. "My students are waiting for me." One student in particular. Of course Byleth cared about all of her students, but at that point, she only was after one.

"Students? You really are crazy, aren't you? There aren't any kids anywhere near that place anymore. Unbelievable…"

Byleth kept her pace towards the Monastery, climbing across rubble, up stairs, and under fallen trees, until she had finally made her way to the Monastery itself. The light grey sky darkened to near charcoal in color as the sun dipped below the horizon. With the want, no, the need, to see Edelgard again having fueled her, she quickly dashed through the now ruined state of the Monastery; through familiar halls and under nostalgic archways. Upon reaching the Goddess Tower, Byleth stopped to catch her breath. Through the pillars of the Goddess Tower, Byleth could see the red of fabric. Byleth stepped through into the center of the Tower's peak, just shy of the woman that she had been pushed towards seeing. She looked different. Her hair was no longer flowing down her back, but pulled up and curled in a more regal fashion. Sitting atop her head was some kind of crown, the likes of which Byleth had never seen before. On either side of her head, horns extended from the crown itself. She looked lost in thought as she stared out of the portcullis window.

Upon hearing Byleth's footsteps, the young emperor turned, reeling back in surprise. "Huh? It's- It's you! Professor, what are you doing here?"

Byleth stepped forward, looking directly into Edelgard's eyes. "I came here for you."

Edelgard immediately looked to the ground, hiding her face, but Byleth could still see a slight flush of crimson on her ears.

"I… You were alive all this time. What have you been doing all this time?" Edelgard recovered from her fluster and looked Byleth straight in the eyes.

"I was sleeping. Edelgard, I-" Byleth started, but Edelgard quickly interrupted her.

Edelgard's relaxed face turned stony. "Joking? At a time like this. Well if you don't wish to tell me, I won't persuade you. All that matters is this: Will you return to the Empire with me? Before you answer, know that some of our friends from our Black Eagle days have chosen to join me in the fight ahead; although, some others regretfully still serve the Church."

The corners of Byleth's mouth raised into a slight smile and she stepped forward next to Edelgard. Byleth rested her elbows on the window frame and stared out of the window herself. "Do you remember, apparently five years ago, when we were standing across from each other on the field of battle?"

"Professor, what does…" Edelgard started to protest, but then sighed. "Yes, I do. I said that I had something I needed to ask you, and you had said the same." Edelgard joined her professor at the window, looking out over the rest of Garreg Mach.

"Correct. Am I safe to assume that what you asked just now was the question from back then?" Byleth's expression remained stoic as her gaze focussed on nothing in particular.

"Yes, that would be correct. Do you remember what you had wished to talk about, my teacher?" Edelgard turned to look at Byleth, the latter still looking out to the horizon.

"I do. I was to tell you that I wished to join you. Then and there. That is why I did not wish to wait to speak at a later time. After that battle, Rhea would never have let me go to speak to you. I would have joined you back at the Holy Tomb, even. If only I had known." A soft chuckle escaped Byleth's lips. She had rarely laughed, and yet, here she was with Edelgard again. Edelgard, the girl who changed her.

"Professor, I…" Edelgard's voice trailed off. She looked down at the cobble windowsill and closed her eyes.

"Edelgard, why didn't you tell me of your plan?" Byleth turned her head to look at Edelgard. A single tear droplet landed beneath Edelgard's face.

Edelgard inhaled deeply before finally looking back up to Byleth and meeting her gaze. "I wanted to. I wanted to tell you more than anyone. But I could not. I could never trust anyone, not with this news. If word got out, I would have been expelled or executed, and all of my work. All of my plans would have been for nothing. I apologize for not telling you, my teacher."

Byleth nodded. "I understand." She turned to look out over the courtyard once more.

"You have spoken of the past. Now, what of the present? My offer is still open, my teacher. Will you join me in the Empire?"

"I will. I'll always be by your side, Edelgard." Byleth felt a pair of arms wrap around her quickly. Byleth looked at her side to see Edelgard hugging her, face buried into her side. Byleth felt her face heat up from the sudden contact.

"After everything that happened, I knew that it was my fault. Do you have any idea how guilty I felt? How broken my heart was? I searched high and low after you vanished! Although there was no proof, I somehow knew you were still alive. All this time, I led everyone as best I could, and fought with all my heart. It's been a difficult path to walk alone." Edelgard sighed deeply before continuing, her body shaking slightly as she did. "Welcome back, my teacher. I'm so happy that you're safe. Five years... Such a short time, but it feels like an eternity ago."

Byleth turned to Edelgard and wrapped her arms around the smaller emperor. Edelgard sunk into Byleth's arms, and Byleth's face lit up in a bright crimson once again. Edelgard soon let go of Byleth and stepped back.

"So, my teacher, are you prepared to stand with me?" With a nod from Byleth, Edelgard's mouth turned up into a wide smile. "I- I thank you. Truly. Now then, I assume you understand the situation at hand, yes?"

Byleth shook her head, face unchanging. "Edelgard, I really was asleep all this time…"

"Another joke." Edelgard laughed, but shortly after, her face became serious as she saw Byleth's expression. "Or...are you telling the truth? I suppose you must be. In that case, I'll tell you all that has transpired as you slumbered these past five years."

"I would like that very much."

"Then if you would join me, my teacher, there is somewhere that I wish to take you. There are others that may wish to see you. I will explain what has happened over the course of your time asleep as we head there." Edelgard offered her arm to Byleth, who, after a bit of hesitation and a slight blush, took Edelgard's arm in her own, causing the former to blush as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Man, this one was a fun one to write as well! All of these have just been super fun. I'm loving this story so far. As it stands, it's currently 1:18 AM on a Saturday night, and I stayed up to write for the fourth night in a row. It's been like, four or five days since I started pumping out chapters for this story, and I still have a solid grasp on what is to come next. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I do writing this! Enjoy! And if you like it, please review! It lets me know what I need to improve on!**

Edelgard led Byleth through the Monastery from the Goddess Tower to the Dining Hall as she explained the current situation to her teacher. "...And that is where we are now. The war is at a stalemate. Dimitri is the new King of Faerghus. It's clear that his territory will continue to support the church. Meanwhile, Claude's leadership has thrown the Alliance into chaos. He maintains neutrality in their internal conflict. The situation has created a deadlock. We've been awaiting an opportunity for our squadron to return to the monastery. With you in the fray, I believe the state of the war will shift immediately. The Church, as well as the Kingdom and the Alliance... The time has come to eliminate them all." Edelgard finished her explanation after gesturing for Byleth to enter the dining hall. It was empty. While this wasn't necessarily surprising with the time of day that it was, Edelgard had said that there were others that had wished to see her.

"The Church of Seiros…" During Edelgard's explanation, Byleth could only think about how much things had changed in the five years since she had fallen from the Monastery's walls.

"Rhea, Seteth, the knights, and the others are in prime condition. They've set up their base within the Kingdom capital. The Immaculate One and her family have yet to fight on the front lines. However, we must eventually face and defeat them. It would mean a great deal to have you with us when the time comes." Edelgard gestured for Byleth to sit down in the empty dining hall. While still hesitant due to the lack of people after what Edelgard had said, Byleth nodded and took her seat. "Good. Well then, I would imagine that you would be hungry after your time asleep." Edelgard moved from behind Byleth towards the kitchen. "Luckily for me, back at our time in the Officer's Academy, you had me cook with you somewhat frequently. While cooking may not have been my favorite pastime, I treasured the experience with you."

As Byleth realized what Edelgard was talking about doing, she quickly stood up. "Edelgard, I-"

"Hush, my teacher. It is the least I could do in return for all that you've done for me, even just today." Edelgard smiled, already rummaging through the pots and pans that populated the kitchen. "Now, if I recall correctly, Annette had told me years ago that you like spicy food, yes?" With a nod in response from Byleth, Edelgard turned around and started going through cabinets for food. "Ah, here it is." Edelgard turned back around to face Byleth holding a small sack of turnips in one hand, and in the other, a small sack of fish of some kind. By the smell of them, Byleth could tell that they were probably Teutates Loach, and if not them, then a similar species of fish. Whatever they were, they smelled fresh, as if they had been caught earlier that day.

Byleth walked forward and took hold of one of the bags in Edelgard's hands. Edelgard looked at her teacher with confusion. "Professor? I told you that I-"

"Hush, my emperor. At least let me help you. I may have been sleeping for the past 5 years, but that doesn't mean that I can't help with something like this." With her own phrase turned against her, Edelgard relinquished the bag of turnips to her professor, a blush adorning her face. "Now, what is it that you were thinking of making for me?"

"W-well, I was thinking about all of the spicier food that we had here when I was a student, and I remembered the spicy fish and turnip stew. I remembered that it needed Teutates Loach and turnips, but that is all that I could remember, now that I think about it." The blush that was already present of Edelgard's face grew to a deeper shade of red as she admitted her misremembrance.

"A stew? This late in the day? You must have been wanting to spend a decent amount of time making this for me. Another reason that I should help you. As for what we're missing, try searching for some Dagdan spices. I'll start cutting up the turnips." Byleth felt the corners of her mouth rise into a smile as Edelgard turned around and started digging through ingredients once more.

_For an Emperor of Adrestia, she had a hard time controlling how much she got flustered._ Byleth thought to herself as she went to work. She cut up the turnips that she was provided into small chunks, and once that was done, she turned to see what Edelgard was doing. Edelgard had found some Dagdan spices and was currently working on preparing the fish for the stew.

"Edelgard, do we have any sort of broth as far as you are aware? Or are we going to need to make some?"

"We have had some Imperial cooks here recently, so I'm sure that there should be some, though I'm not sure where they would keep it. There might be some jars of it. We could check to see. I'll check the upper cabinets if you check the lower ones." Edelgard moved away from the fish she had been working on and started checking some of the higher cabinets.

"Alright." Byleth nodded and crouched down to get better access to the lower cabinets. Shortly after she had bent down, she could hear one of the side doors to the Dining Hall open.

"Edie, what are you doing in here? You said you'd be back to the meeting room soon. It's been like, two hours! Everyone else left and went to sleep." Byleth heard Dorothea's voice call out to Edelgard. _Dorothea is here? Is that who Edelgard wanted me to show myself to?_ Byleth thought to herself as she looked.

"My apologies, Dorothea. I would have told you had circumstances been different. Things… things changed recently." Edelgard stopped looking in the cabinets and turned back towards the Northeastern door.

"What do you mean, Edie? What could have changed that much?" Dorothea's tone was curious, but also defensive at the same time. Edelgard simply smiled. She turned around to where Byleth was still looking for some broth stock. Edelgard leaned down next to Byleth's face and whispered into her teacher's ear.

"My teacher, if you would please stand up. That would explain everything to her." Byleth nodded and stood, looking towards where Dorothea's voice had been. Byleth made eye contact with Dorothea, and the color drained from the singer's face. Her chocolate brown hair was longer, and her signature hat was gone. She looked much more mature than when she had been at the Monastery.

"Professor…" Dorothea's eyes watered as her face contorted into an expression of pure joy. She practically leaped over the counter that separated the Dining Hall's main area from the kitchen and food storage to hug Byleth. "Professor! You're alive! I'm so glad!" Dorothea smiled warmly at Byleth. Due to Dorothea's sudden change in proximity to the two of them, Edelgard jumped backwards. Dorothea leaned in close to Byleth's ear and whispered. "Edie is glad too. I can tell. She was the most worked up over your disappearance. She really cares about you, you know. She told me. Just keep that in mind. If you have any questions, I'm always here." Dorothea backed up, holding Byleth at arm's length after the hug. She winked at Byleth before turning to Edelgard. Edelgard, a mere few feet away but not close enough to have heard Dorothea's whisper, held a slight frown on her face, but as soon as both Dorothea and Byleth looked in her direction, she cleared her face back to her neutral expression.

_But why is that?_ Byleth wondered to herself.

"Yes, the professor is alive. She approached me as I was thinking to myself in the Goddess Tower shortly after I excused myself from the group. I was going to bring her by everyone else, but then I realized that she must have been hungry. So I took her here, and we were in the middle of making some stew whenever you got here. We were looking for some stock broth." Edelgard walked back to the cabinets and began looking for the stock again.

"Edie, come on. It's late. Don't overwork yourself." Dorothea chided.

"You are welcome to join us and help with the cooking of this, Dorothea. I'm hoping that with the three of us, we could make something rather appetizing. Ah! I found some. Now we can get back to working on other preparations." Edelgard grabbed a jar of broth stock and set it next to the large pot that she had procured earlier.

"Edie…" Dorothea sighed. "Fine, I should know by now that the only thing you value more than the professor is your goal. How can I help?"

Edelgard produced another fish from the bag and set it on the counter, followed by a fillet knife. "You can help me clean these fish. The professor has already prepared the turnips. This is all that is left to do before we combine the ingredients."

Dorothea gingerly took the knife and started, somewhat sloppily, carving and cleaning the fish. As that finished, the three were finally able to combine the ingredients into the pot, and they began cooking the stew. Through the use of time and some well controlled fire magic, the stew had simmered to the point that it was ready to eat.

"Dorothea, Professor, if you would take your seats. I will have the food out for you shortly." Edelgard turned back to the cabinets, opening some to reveal plates and bowls.

"Edie, we'll help you. You don't have to do it all by yourself."

"Do not trouble yourself. As the Emperor, it is hard for me to do tasks like this on my own. Allow me to do this for you both. At least this once." Edelgard made no indication of stopping for either Dorothea or Byleth to intervene. In a defeated huff, Dorothea conceded and walked to the closest table, Byleth following behind her.

"So, Professor. Gone for five years and just now making your return. I'm sure you're aware of what has been happening during that time," Dorothea said almost as soon as Byleth had sat down.

"Yes, Edelgard informed me." Byleth nodded.

"Informed you? So you didn't know what had happened? What were you doing all this time? Sleeping?" Dorothea asked, clearly not believing that option possible.

"Yes." Byleth nodded.

"Wait, what? What do you m-" Dorothea started, but before she could continue, Edelgard brought out a small tray with three dishes on it. Three bowls, which she placed in front of Byleth and Dorothea, and then in the empty spot to the right of Dorothea.

"The food is ready! Dig in!" Edelgard said, a small smile on her face. As Byleth and Dorothea first moved their spoons to take their first bite, Edelgard let out a wistful sigh. "Does it not feel like time has been altered? That we are back in the Officer's Academy once again?"

"Yes, it does. That certainly brings back memories. If only things had been different, maybe the huge fallout would never have happened." Dorothea took her first bite of the stew, and her face lit up for a split second before a red tint came over it. "Goddess, that is spicy!"

"Yes, the Professor likes spicy food. Is that not right, Professor?" Edelgard directed the question toward Byleth.

"It is. Thank you for this, Edelgard. It is delicious."

"Of course, my teacher. I am so very glad you enjoy it." Edelgard looked down at her left, hiding her face from the other two in her company. Byleth could clearly see the change in Edelgard's ears' tint.

"Oh, Edie. Get this! The Professor said that she had been asleep for five years! Asleep!" Dorothea glanced over to the Emperor, a look of amusement on her face.

"I had wished to get everyone together to explain it rather than one person at a time, but I suppose it is too late now. Yes, that is what the Professor told me. She said she had been asleep for five years. Aside from how absurd it sounded, she gave me no reason to doubt her. You and I both know that she has done numerous absurd feats over the course of our time at the Officer's Academy." Edelgard explained.

"Now that you mention it, you're right. Well, regardless, I'm glad you're back, Professor. And I know that Edie here is glad that you're back as well." Dorothea smiled to Byleth, and when Edelgard wasn't looking, she shot a wink Byleth's way as well. Byleth's expression remained unchanged.

The rest of the meal passed by with little event. After they had all finished, they put their dishes into the kitchen's receptacle. Edelgard had assured them that the Imperial cooks wouldn't mind, once they knew who the dishes were from.

"Well, Professor, Edie. That was delicious. Thank you for the meal." Dorothea let out a rather long yawn. "Well, I guess that is just how tired I am. I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight!" And with that, Dorothea gracefully left the Dining Hall in the direction of the dorms where they had once stayed while students at the Officer's Academy.

"I suppose I should leave as well, my teacher. I recommend you get some sleep, too. Tomorrow will be a rather big deal for you. It would be unwise to remain unrested; although, you have just slept for five years. I'm not sure if rest is exactly what you need. Regardless, I will retire for the night as well. Goodnight, my teacher." Edelgard began walking out of the Dining Hall, following the path that Dorothea had also travelled.

"Edelgard, wait." Byleth reached out her hand in Edelgard's direction. "Could I walk you back to your room?" Truth be told, Byleth had no idea why she had asked that, nor did she know what had made her want to. There was just a part of her that didn't want to leave the young Emperor's side. Not yet, at least.

Edelgard smiled at her old professor. "I would love that, thank you."

The two of them walked peacefully in the cool darkness of Garreg Mach after sunset, a comfortable silence passing over them. Both were content with the other's presence, and not much more was needed. As the two of them reached Edelgard's old room, the young Emperor turned to Byleth with a smile on her face. For the third time that night, Byleth felt arms wrap around her. Edelgard cradled herself into Byleth's chest and pulled the taller woman close. Byleth returned the embrace, her still heart feeling that same emotion again. The emotion that she didn't know what it was. But regardless, she felt it all the same. And it was due to the same person that had originally made her feel all those years ago.

"Thank you for coming back to me, Professor. Your return means so much more than you realize. It… It is the first thing that has brought me joy in such a long time…" Byleth could hear the quietest of sniffles from her chest. The two stayed in their embrace for what seemed like minutes before Edelgard finally broke herself off from Byleth. "Goodnight, my Professor. As I said earlier, tomorrow will be a big day for you. Sleep well." Edelgard gave Byleth one last smile before retreating into her old Academy room. A pang of… something flew through Byleth's chest. Sadness? Loneliness? Byleth wasn't sure. All she could do was to return to her old room and sleep until the next dawn.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm telling you, Mercedes, I heard the Professor's voice outside last night!" Sylvain's voice sounded outside of the door, waking the inhabitant of the room within. Edelgard opened her eyes and looked over to her left. Once again, she was in her old Monastery room; however, unlike the days in the past five years that she had moved back and forth from Enbarr to Garreg Mach, this morning brought a new hope to her mindset. Today, she would reveal to the rest of her forces that their beloved professor was still alive.

"Are you sure? Surely we would have been notified of the Professor's return." Mercedes' quiet voice forced its way through Edelgard's door just like Sylvain's had. Edelgard removed the covers from atop of her and sat up on her bed. She placed her bare feet on the ground, immediately feeling the chilled ground. She shivered. It was the Ethereal Moon, after all. _At least Garreg Mach's winters were more tame than those of Faerghus._ Edelgard mused to herself.

"Well, it was late last night that I heard them talking. After hearing them, I stayed up a bit to make sure that they weren't doing anything… unbecoming." Sylvain's voice sounded like it was directly outside the door, almost as if it was on purpose. Regardless, Edelgard's cheeks heated at the implication. Edelgard quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. While she was excited that her teacher had returned, she couldn't afford any distractions like that. She couldn't let her teacher distract her in the way that only she could.

"I think that if our Professor is really back, then she would have gone to sleep. We'll find out soon enough, Sylvain." Mercedes' voice seemed further away than the last time she spoke.

"Yeah, yeah." Sylvain's voice also faded out. The two of them must have moved away from Edelgard's door further down the hallway. It was strange. With Byleth back in the Monastery, Edelgard couldn't help but think of her days in the Officer's Academy all those years ago. As she mused on the past, Edelgard dressed herself in a more casual version of her Imperial garb. She had decided to leave her hair down today in honor of the days that were so far removed; in honor of the days when she had been able to spend time with her teacher.

Edelgard opened the door to her room, fully dressed, and made her way downstairs. While she didn't particularly enjoy the fact that the rooms of those that had sided with her were still separated based on whether or not they were Nobles or commoners, each of the returning former students insisted on their old rooms for nostalgia's sake. And who was Edelgard to argue against that, as she had chosen her old room for the same reason. Walking along the lawn to the outside of what were no longer dorms, Edelgard didn't realize that she had already made her way to Byleth's personal quarters. Edelgard looked around to make sure that nobody saw her, as she had wanted this to be a surprise for everyone. After making sure that the coast was clear, Edelgard raised her hand up to the door. She hesitated slightly as her heart raced. Eventually, she calmed herself to the point where she could follow through with where her hand was already positioned at the door. She knocked. Once, twice, three times. No response. She waited for about ten seconds before knocking again. Once again, no response. Edelgard reached for the doorknob, but stopped herself. What was she doing? Going into her teacher's room without her permission? Edelgard shook her head. She needed to stop thinking as if they were still at the Officer's Academy. She was the Emperor. She would go in just to see if her teacher was still there. If she was not, then Edelgard would head to the Dining Hall, and that would be that.

Edelgard grasped the doorknob and turned it. Pushing the door open slightly, Edelgard peered into the room. Byleth was still asleep. Edelgard quickly entered the room so that anyone who might just have so happened to be walking by wouldn't see her staring into an, until last night, empty room. Edelgard quietly shut the door and moved further into the room. It was impeccably clean. Edelgard never really had gone in there. Not during her Officer's Academy days, and definitely not since her teacher had disappeared. That would have been too painful.

Edelgard moved over to her teacher's chair and positioned it next to the bed. She sat down, examining her Professor's face. She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful. Ever since she had first seen her teacher, then a mercenary, she had noted the striking beauty behind the usually taciturn demeanor and expression.

Edelgard leaned forward and lightly brushed aside some of Byleth's light green hair with her hand. Being this close to her teacher caused her heart beat to quicken, but she didn't pull away. She simply stayed there in the moment, looking at Byleth's beautiful sleeping form. "My teacher…" Edelgard whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she started again, but finishing her sentence. "My teacher… I love you. I… I just needed to say it to you at least once. Even if you can't hear it." Edelgard smiled, a slight weight falling from her. Deciding to indulge herself just a slight bit more, she leaned forward just a little bit more and placed a small kiss on Byleth's forehead.

Feeling fulfilled, at least for now, Edelgard leaned back in the chair. She remembered when she had figured out the depths of her feelings for her professor. It had been a process, and Dorothea had been by her every step of the way. With the songstress' main goal at the Academy being to find a suitable partner, she was well versed in the field of emotional attachment to someone else and love. The first time Edelgard had realized the true extent of her feelings came directly after the ball.

* * *

_Edelgard sat down on Dorothea's bed in a huff. The songstress soon joined her. "Alright, Edie. I know that you have something you want to say. Something must have happened. I'd have figured you still would have been at the Ball now, so this must be something important." Dorothea set her hat on her desk, and after a bit of silence, her face lit up, and she quickly turned her head to look at Edelgard. "Wait, is it about the Professor again?" Edelgard blushed, but slowly nodded. Dorothea excitedly faced her entire body towards Edelgard, hands on her lap, an expression of heavy anticipation on her face. "Okay, tell me everything. I've been dying for an update."_

_Edelgard sighed. "By that response, I feel like I am safe to assume that you remember what I told you last time we talked, yes?"_

_Dorothea nodded quickly. "The fact that you have a crush on the Professor? Yes!"_

"_Okay, well it is about that. I'm confused. I have had brief crushes before, but they have been just that: brief. The knowledge that I would become Emperor and not be able to attain any sort of romantic union with anyone always ended those brief feelings. This has lasted longer than any other, and I don't know how to feel about it, and there's… there's more to it. Today at the Ball, whenever the Professor was dancing with other students, I felt… not quite anger towards them, but it was almost there. I wanted to dance with our Professor, but in between each dance, I was beaten to her every time, and when I wasn't beat to her, someone would approach me asking to dance. I wanted to spend time with her. I still do. I always do! I'm almost always thinking about her, and during our free time, more often than not lately, I've been seeking her counsel on assignments that she had given us for the week, even pretending to not understand parts of the material so that I could spend more time with her." Edelgard rambled._

_Dorothea leaned back away from Edelgard for a few seconds as she finished. "Wow. That's a lot to unpack, Edie. But we can start. When it comes to the other students and you feeling 'not quite anger' towards them, that sounds like jealousy. You're jealous of anyone that spends time with the Professor that isn't you. That certainly lines up with your desire to always be around her. Tell me, Edelgard. Have you ever been in love before?" Dorothea looked at Edelgard expectantly._

"_You're the first person to ask me a question like that tonight, Dorothea."_

"_Really? Who else asked you?"_

"_The Professor."_

_Dorothea looked at Edelgard quizzically. "Didn't you say that you didn't have an opportunity to dance with her? How did you talk to her?"_

"_After a night of dancing, I left the Ball and went to the Goddess Tower. She was already there when I arrived. During our conversation, she asked who my first love was."_

"_And? What did you tell her?" Dorothea looked enraptured by the retelling of the night._

"_I told her the truth. I told her that during my time in the Kingdom, I fell for a Noble boy. I don't love him now, of course. That was a lifetime ago. I don't even remember who he is. So many things have happened since then."_

"_Edie… I want you to think about something really hard for me, okay?" Dorothea asked. Edelgard nodded to the brunette in front of her. "Do you think you might be in love with the Professor?"_

_Edelgard's blood ran cold. In love? With the Professor? "Wh-why would you ask that, Dorothea?"_

_Dorothea shrugged. "It's just that from what you've said, it sounds like it. I think you should go for it." Dorothea smiled._

_Edelgard sighed. "If only it were that simple. Like I told you before, as the future Emperor, I can't follow love. I certainly can't follow through with it for the Professor. Not with the path that I have to tread. And even if I could, there is no way that she would feel the same for me." Dorothea was smiling wider at Edelgard. "Why are you looking at me like that?_

_Dorothea laughed. "You didn't deny it. Come on, say it."_

"_Say what?"_

"_Say 'I love Professor Byleth'. Saying it usually helps you understand it a bit more."_

"_I… I love Professor Byleth…"_

* * *

Edelgard's heart fluttered at the memory. It was true back then, and even after the five years of separation, it was true now. But just like back then, Edelgard couldn't pursue this. She couldn't afford to. Not now, at least. Edelgard's musings were interrupted as the sleeping figure before her started to wake.

Byleth rubbed her eyes to wake herself. She opened her eyes to see Edelgard sitting next to her.

"Good morning, my teacher. How did you sleep?" Edelgard smiled at the woman before her.

"I slept… I slept well." Byleth said, still somewhat groggy. "What… what are you doing here, Edelgard?"

Suddenly realizing the situation that she had placed herself in, her cheeks flushed a slight rosy color. "Oh, I wanted to walk with you this morning to the Dining Hall. I felt it would be good if you were introduced again rather than just showing up without introduction."

Byleth nodded, still somewhat sleepy. "That is a good idea. Let us away, then." Byleth narrowed her eyes at Edelgard. "You're wearing your hair down today? It looks nice."

"Th-thank you, my teacher." Edelgard blushed. "I can… I can turn around while you get ready." Edelgard said before Byleth could remove her covers.

Byleth yawned before shaking her head. "Nonsense. I came back to the room and crashed. I'm still in my clothes." She threw her sheets off and stood up. She quickly fastened her shoes on, and before long, she and Edelgard were walking towards the Dining Hall.

They could hear the chatter of the dining hall before they got inside. It was somewhat lively, which was new for Edelgard, especially in the recent months; however, as soon as the two of them stepped inside the Dining Hall, the low roar of voices subsided almost immediately. A few seconds passed before another, louder roar of voices filled the room.

"Professor!" A tandem of voices sounded from all over the room. Byleth scanned the room. The remaining Black Eagles Students that defected to the Empire after Byleth had fallen rose and approached Byleth, quickly becoming a swarm.

"Well now. That face is certainly familiar. I am glad to see you alive and well, Professor." Hubert was the first to approach.

"I can't believe it! Is this a dream? Can we really be this lucky?!" Caspar was next, pulling Byleth into a tight hug for a split second before Edelgard unconsciously shot him a glare. Caspar released Byleth immediately.

"This is not dreaming. Our professor is with us again! Welcome to the back! I mean...welcome back!" Petra said from beside Caspar, a huge smile on her face.

"I saw you yesterday, but still, it's great to see you again, Professor." Dorothea smiled.

Lysithea approached the professor, followed by Marianne. "Wow, it's you! Here I thought you were dead all this time."

Marianne spoke up from behind the other white haired girl. "Could that be the Professor's…ghost?" Lysithea approached Byleth and poked her with her finger.

"Nope! That's the Professor for real."

Mercedes spoke up from the back of the group. "Oh! I haven't seen any of you in such a long time! I'm so glad to see you're alive."

From beside her, Sylvain laughed. "I told you I heard her last night! Felix! My payment." He stretched his hand towards Felix, who put a small handful of coins in Sylvain's hand with a sigh.

"It's good to see you again, Professor. We can catch up later."

Edelgard turned to Byleth who actually looked shocked to see them all. Byleth turned to Edelgard after regaining her composure.

"Where are the others? Ferdinand? Bernadetta? Linhardt? Ashe?"

Edelgard's face fell. "I told you last night that some of our former classmates still ally with the Church. They are the ones that stayed. Ferdinand was too proud. He said as a Noble, he must stick to his word and help those he promised. Bernadetta was too afraid to turn her back on the Church after siding with them. Linhardt seemed indifferent, but staying with the church would have been less work for him. I assume he would also be able to spend days napping and studying Crestology. That would be better for his lifestyle rather than wage war on the Church for years. And as for Ashe, last I heard, he was helping Lord Rowe in the Kingdom. It is regrettable that they have chosen to leave, but it is not something that we can change for them."

Dorothea walked up to Byleth with a smile on her face. "Enough with the sad talk. Let's get you something to eat. We can all catch up over food. We're all glad to see you here and safe. Especially Edie." Dorothea shot a smile and wink towards Edelgard, who could then feel her face heat up.

"Yes, let's eat. There is so much for us to catch up on, Professor." Hubert said, gesturing to the table that they had come from. Edelgard and Byleth both took a plate of food from the Imperial cooks and sat down with the rest of the former Black Eagles for a hearty, refreshing breakfast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

"So, Professor. Where have you been all this time?" Hubert asked, eyeing Byleth from across the table.

"Yeah, I wanna know that, too." Caspar agreed from a few seats down. Edelgard sighed. They had been there for mere minutes before this question came up. While not unexpected, Edelgard had wished that more time had passed before this subject was brought up. Edelgard looked towards her teacher. Byleth's face betrayed no emotion.

"I was asleep." Byleth said, going back to her food immediately after.

Caspar's laugh boomed through the hall, startling some of the other people at the tables. "That's a good one, Professor!" A few of the other people at the table laughed with him. Byleth's face did not change. The laughter died down as those sitting around the table noticed the fact that Byleth didn't seem to be joking.

Edelgard spoke as soon as the laughter died down. "I was confused as well whenever she told me the same thing last night. But as far as everything stands, I have no choice but to trust her. None of us know the reason for it, but nevertheless, that is what we must believe."

"Regardless, our Professor has returned to us! Celebrations are in order!" Sylvain said. He stood up and walked behind Hubert and Petra, grabbed their shoulders and pulled them close, himself in the middle. Hubert sneered at the redhead, but said nothing.

Petra smiled and clapped her hands. "I would be liking that greatly!" Edelgard couldn't help but inwardly grimace. While a celebration would be fantastic, they couldn't afford to be distracted from her goal. Fodlan wouldn't unite itself.

"That sounds like a grand idea! But what should we do for the celebration?" Mercedes asked the small group of former students. Immediately, there was a buzz among them. Ideas were being thrown around between people. Edelgard looked to Byleth whose attention shifted from person to person as ideas were spouted. Edelgard felt a tap on her shoulder. Upon turning around, Dorothea was there, standing next to her.

"Dorothea? What is it?" Edelgard inquired.

"Follow me for a second, Edie." Dorothea smiled and reached out her hand. Edelgard looked back to Byleth, who was still listening to ideas from everyone. "Don't worry. She'll be here when we get back." Dorothea gently grabbed Edelgard's arm and, after a bit of hesitation on Edelgard's end, was able to lead her away.

"Dorothea. What do you need? We were in the middle of eating." Edelgard asked when the two of them had gotten a decent distance away from the main group. They continued walking to the gardens to the North of the Dining Hall.

"You mean you were busy staring at the Professor while everyone else talked about a celebration. A celebration, by the way, that you made no effort to help plan or come up with ideas. In fact, when it was brought up, you frowned. I would have thought that you of all people would be happy to celebrate the Professor being back." Dorothea smirked as she knelt down next to some of the flowers.

"Of course I'm happy that she's back. But now with her back, we can make the steps forward that we need to. I've waited five years for this. I don't want to wait any longer. Finally, we can move towards the goal to unite Fodlan. I can't let anything get in the way of my goal, not even the Professor." Edelgard stood next to Dorothea, hand clenched next to her in determination.

"Edie, don't you think you might be rushing things a bit? I mean, the Professor has been back for not even a full day yet, and you're already wanting to start working on conquest. Edie, it's okay to take breaks. Come on, don't you want to spend time with the person you love? Or has that changed in the last five years?" Dorothea smirked at Edelgard from her crouched position.

Edelgard sighed, resting her head in her right palm. "Did you return to the Empire solely to chide me for my goals?"

Dorothea laughed and looked back to the flowers around the garden. "No, I returned to the empire for three key reasons. You're my best friend and I believe in your goals, although your tact in your execution of them could use some work. The Nobles in this world focus too much on their Crests and Nobility."

Edelgard's eyebrow raised. "You said there were three reasons, yes?"

There was a moment of silence before Dorothea continued. "The third reason was to do my best to keep you sane after the Professor fell. I saw you afterwards. You were broken. I was the support until the Professor came back."

Edelgard shook her head and closed her eyes. "That was a long time ago. I was a lot weaker then. I let how I felt about the Professor cloud my judgements. I ran to her recklessly. I should have been captured or killed."

Dorothea simply laughed in response."The Professor has always been your weak spot, Edie. We all have our weak spots. That's normal. Even for Emperors."

"I do not have a weak spot, Dorothea." Edelgard couldn't be weak. She couldn't have a weak spot.

Dorothea stood up and turned to look Edelgard directly in the eyes. "Oh? Then you're fine if I go after the Professor instead? She's quite the catch. Utterly gorgeous. And strong too, you know." Dorothea saw Edelgard's now flustered expression. "Oh, right. Of course you know."

"Dorothea… What are you saying? You must be joking." There was a clearly noticeable edge in Edelgard's voice. A tone of warning for the songstress.

Dorothea's face remained stoic. "I'm saying that anyone would be lucky to have the Professor. And if you're not willing to notice that, then you might as well give her to someone else." Either she was serious, or she was a much better actress than she had led on.

"Dorothea…" Edelgard whispered, her voice shaky and soft. She felt her chest pull tight and a somewhat unfamiliar feeling behind her face. Before Edelgard even knew what was happening, there were tears welling up in her eyes. It was always the Professor that did this to her. It was only the Professor that did this to her. Nobody else could make her cry just by thought alone, if at all. She shook her head to rid herself of the tears. She would not cry. Not now.

"So if you're even remotely interested in her, then you'll take this opportunity to spend time with her. But I wouldn't do that to you. I was making a point. If you don't go after her, then someone else will. Besides, I have my eye on someone else right now."

"Ugh. Dorothea, you…" Edelgard inhaled sharply. "I suppose that even as the Emperor, I still have much to learn. Especially in these situations. I… I suppose that I'm counting on you… on your help. You clearly know more of this than I do." Edelgard dropped her head in defeat. There was no talking the songstress out of that mindset now, and Edelgard had no idea whether or not the brunette was joking or serious.

"I wouldn't say that." Dorothea thought for a moment, her hand supporting her chin as she did. "Oh! I have an idea! We could have a Ball tonight!"

Edelgard reeled back in surprise. "Tonight? Isn't that rather soon? And a Ball of all things?" There would have to be so much work! Everyone would have to be on top of their work today, and some people might have to do more than their daily duties. Edelgard didn't know if she could ask her army to do that.

"Well, today WAS supposed to be the Millennium Festival. It would make sense. And it would finally give you the opportunity to have a dance with your dear Professor Byleth." While the offer certainly was tempting, that was still a lot of work to be done. What of the others? Edelgard supposed that if the other members of her Strike Force were interested in a Ball, then she would be more okay with letting it happen.

"F-fine. That sounds like it would be fine." Edelgard nodded. "We should talk to everyone to make sure they are okay with it."

Dorothea raised her fists in the air, triumphantly. "Alright! Sounds like a plan to me! Let's get you a dance with the Professor!"

The two returned to the Dining Hall to find the group of former students still shouting ideas. Dorothea approached with a large smile on her face, Edelgard less so.

As they approached, Edelgard cleared her throat. Those that were talking stopped and turned to look towards the two young women. "Dorothea has brought an idea of her own to me for how to celebrate." She gestured towards Dorothea, who stepped forward.

"I think that we should have a Ball tonight." Several of the others looked towards Dorothea in shock. "Hear me out. Today was supposed to be the Millennium Festival, right? Who's saying that we can't celebrate that tonight? I know that it will be a lot of work to get it set up, but I think it would be worth it."

"I think that sounds wonderful, Dorothea. I would love that." Mercedes said with a soft, yet bright smile.

One by one, the other students eventually agreed. Some with enthusiasm, others less so.

"What say you, my teacher?" Edelgard looked towards Byleth, doing her best to hide the hopeful smile that tried to push itself onto her face. Even though she'd rather start working towards finishing this war that weighed on her and the others. Still, she couldn't help but start feeling excited at the prospect.

"I think that would be fine." Byleth nodded. "I don't have much that would be fitting, but I'm sure that all of you can have fun."

"Great! We'll get you ready, Professor! Leave it to us!" Dorothea grabbed the Professor's arm and pulled her up from the table. "Mercie, would you care to join us?"

"Oh, yes. I'd love to." Mercedes stood up from her seat at the table and followed Dorothea and Byleth.

Edelgard watched them leave, unsure of what the two of them were going to do to her teacher. "Alright, everyone. Then it will be so. Go and get ready for the Ball tonight. Today is a day to celebrate." Soon, most everyone had left the room and started making their way back to their own rooms.

"Your Majesty. Are you sure about this?" Hubert asked Edelgard from across the table.

"No, Hubert. I'm not. But troop morale is important. We've waited for five years… It pains me slightly to say this, but we can spare another day."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but as your advisor, I am advising you to reconsider this. It is imperative that this is taken more seriously." Hubert's voice was as cold as ever.

"I will make sure that this time is not a waste, Hubert." Edelgard scolded.

"As you say, Your Majesty." Hubert bowed and left the Dining Hall in the direction of the rooms.

Edelgard sighed, lowering her head and shaking it. No matter what she did, someone would be disappointed. That was the drawback of being the Emperor. Everything came with a price. Edelgard sighed before heading to her own room to get ready for tonight's… Ball. The thought that one was happening at all was perplexing to Edelgard, but the thought of dancing with her Professor certainly was appealing. Edelgard conceded that this entire circumstance was confusing to her and went back to her room. She, like the others, would soon be ready for this Ball. And then, she would finally have the dance with her Professor.

Dorothea had made some sense earlier. She could hold off on her goals to unite Fodlan. Tonight, she had a different goal. She would dance with her Professor, and nobody would get in her way.


End file.
